Improvement in compound projectiles for ordnance



L. E. REYNOLDS.

Projetfle. 1 No. 40 856. Patented Dec. 8, 1863 f'rzl/euiar mfzefies v N-FEIERS. FHOTD-LITHOGRAFHEW, WASHINGTON.

-pact imparted to it.

NITED STATES LUCIUS E. REYNOLDS, OF MENDON, ILLINOIS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,56, dated December 8, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIUS E. REYNOLDS, of Mendon, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Projectiles for Ordnance; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, said drawing representing a longitudinal View of my invention, showing it partly in section.

This invention consists in a compound projectile composed of two distinct projectiles, one of which fits the piece of ordnance from which it is to be fired, and the other fits to and proj ects from a suitable bore or cavity within the first one, such bore or cavity also containing behind the smaller projectile a charge of gunpowder and percussion-priming for the ignition of the same, or a charge of fulminatingpowder alone. The larger projectile is intended to have its weight so distributed that when it is discharged from the gun the point of the smaller projectile will strike and by percussion cause the explosion of the charge, by which the smaller one, after having received the whole impact due to the longer one, will receive an additional impact.

A represents the larger projectile, which I will call the major projectile, and which may be of cast-iron, of any suitable elongated form, and fitted to the bore of the piece of ordnance with any suitable packing. This projectile is bored centrally from its front end to any suitable depth, for the reception of the smaller projectile, B, which I call the minor projectile, and of the charge a of powder, by which the minor projectile has additional im- The minor projectile consists of a bolt of steel, or of iron withasteel point or head, and is fitted snugly to the central bore of A. Its head, which projects from A, may be somewhat larger than thepart which is received therein; or the whole length may be of the same size. In the example represented the head is larger. The back part of the bore of the major projectile, which contains the charge a, is made somewhat smaller than the remainder of the bore, to form abearing-shoulder, b, for the inner end of the minor projectile. The fulminate-priming, by the aid of which the ignition of the charge is ignited, is arranged behind the charge a, as shown at c, and the inner end of the minor projectile is furnished with a projecting pin or point, d, for the purpose of striking and exploding the said priming. To keep this pin or point out of contact with the fulminate until the head of the minor projectile strikes, there is a ring of vulcanized india-rubber, c, or other suitable yielding material between the shoulder 12 and the minor projectile, and this ring yields to the impact of the major projectile when the head of the minor one strikes, and allows the point of the pin (1 to strike and explode the fulminate, and thereby ignite the charge a. The ring 6 must, however, be firm enough to withstand the shock of the discharge of the projectile from the gun.

The head of the minor projectile may be of any suitable form best calculated for penetration, and when it strikes against any body the whole force of both the projectiles is concentrated in it, and the explosion of the charge a then taking place, it receives an additional impact, by which its penetration is greatly increased.

The charge a might be wholly of fulminating-powder, to obtain great force in a small space.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the major and minor projectiles, the interposed charge, and the fulminate-priming, substantially as herein de scribed, the whole forming a compound projectile operating as herein set forth.

2. The protecting-ring 6, applied substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LUOIUS E. REYNOLDS.

WVitnesses:

ALEXANDER B. CAMPBELL, JOHN H. BRAY. 

